Is too much, too much?

xxserenity · Aug 15, 2007

I had a question earlier, a few reponsed very helpful. But I have another question, I figured I'd make a new topic since it's the total opposite.

When writing a novel, like something happening to your main character. Is there such thing as too much being too much. Like say if the main character gets shot, survives, then robbed. I don't plan to do something like that. I was just curious, is there something that can be too much that you want to be careful from?

StoryG27 · Aug 15, 2007

As long as you make it believable, that's what matters. It has to seem real.

jordijoy · Aug 15, 2007

I agree, as long as you make it believable...

III · Aug 15, 2007

Is redundant redundant?

Seriously though, I don't see any problem with it. Look at poor Butch or Vincent in Pulp Fiction. Those guys went through alot in one day!

xxserenity · Aug 15, 2007

^ Yeah good point, they went through everyone in pulp fiction. I was just curious. Making it believable works for me to as a reader. Just wondered how others felt about it.

Simon Woodhouse · Aug 15, 2007

As long as there are reasons and consequences, and you show them, you'll be all right.

Bufty · Aug 15, 2007

As long as he doesn't fall off the open top deck of a bus on a bridge, bounce off the parapet into the path of a passing train, stagger to his feet, get whacked by the inter-city express going the other way then get up and hail a taxi to the office.... :snoopy:

Just kidding. Have fun. :Hug2:

De Lady · Aug 15, 2007

I think if the character is at every major event and everything happens to him or her, than that is way too much. Just read a book like that, but for the life of me can't recall it all that well. That's how impressive too much is, I suppose.

Bufty · Aug 15, 2007

James Bond? The Saint? Tarzan? Mike Hammer? And screeds more - including Hornblower!

There's nothing wrong with the main character being in every event. That's why they're the main character.

De Lady said:
I think if the character is at every major event and everything happens to him or her, than that is way too much. Just read a book like that, but for the life of me can't recall it all that well. That's how impressive too much is, I suppose.

johnzakour · Aug 15, 2007

You can make anything work as long as you write it well.

DancingMaenid · Aug 15, 2007

I think genre can be important, here. If you're writing a thriller or action-packed suspense or mystery novel, then I think it's important that you do have a lot happen to the character and have them involved in a lot. I think people are better as suspending their disbelief in these genres, too. For instance, in reality, the average private detective is probably going to mostly handle cases of marital infidelity and other such commonplace things that turn out to be exactly what they look like. The chances of, say, witnessing a murder or discovering a huge scheme every single case they get is highly unlikely. But if someone is going to base a series on a private detective, they're going to have to give them exciting cases. And people will accept it as long as the stories are good.

HopelessDreamer · Aug 15, 2007

Yep, it's called verisimilitude. In other words, a literary device used by the writer to make the reader believe that an improbable or impossible situation could actually happen.

xxserenity · Aug 15, 2007

HopelessDreamer said:
Yep, it's called verisimilitude. In other words, a literary device used by the writer to make the reader believe that an improbable or impossible situation could actually happen.

Could you explain that more for me?

Siddow · Aug 15, 2007

I'm okay with it, as long as the things that happen are because of something the character did or something the character wants. If there's a character who is just stumbling along in his day and all these bad things keep happening, I'm going to think he's one unlucky SOB but I'm not really going to care.

But if the character gets shot while, say, on security duty at a museum, okay. He recovers but feels so bad (like less of a man) about not being to protect the museum (something was stolen), that he goes all vigilante and hunts down the stolen items and steals them back (to prove to himself and his wife? girlfriend? father? that he IS a man, dammit), only to have the thieves who shot him in the first place come to the character's home and rob him, taking not only the museum stuff but also everything else of value, then I care.

Is too much, too much?

xxserenity

StoryG27

Miss Behave

jordijoy

In pursuit!!

III

rockin the suburbs

xxserenity

Simon Woodhouse

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

De Lady

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

DancingMaenid

New kid...seven years ago!

HopelessDreamer

xxserenity

Siddow

I'm super! Thanks for asking